Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-16
A GREAT FUNEEL-SHAPED CLOUD
WalEss Through the Town, Cutting Clean
Path Of DsSrue6On-NO Building
in It's Path Escapes
4 LIST OF The DAMAGE DONE
As Far as AScsrtained-A Detailed Account
Of the Most Thoroughbred Cyclone
That Ever Struck this Section
No Person Killed.

3:l5 O'Clock this afternoon the Washington
c. II. horror was re-enacted at this place,
the leading role in the the tragedy being
sustained by the dread funnel-shaped
ClOud-the cyclone. The gray monster
came roaring on the paralyzed inhabitants
OF ST. Clairsville from the west, and shot
ripping, tearing and smashing through the
center OF the town like a stupendOus
bomb from a mortar in the fortress Of the
gods. Three minutes of indeScribable con-
fusion and it was all over, the only token
the terrible visitor left being a track of
wreck and debris from the shattered build
ngs. The path of the cyclone was about
thirty yards wide, and clean cut rs the
path of a cannon ball; and no building in
its way frame, brick OF stone escaped.
At ; o'clock the atmosphere foretold a
storm. Ii was hot and oppressive.
Clouds began to roll up and in short
while 4 yellow, leaden pail Oyerhung the
the town and rain began to fall in large
slow drops.
Persons on the west outskirts of the city
noticed a cloud Ofdust in the distance at
3l5 o'clock. 1t came with marvellous We
Iocity right toward them and in q moment
ar two assumed definite shape. 1t appeared
10 be at least q quarter Of a mile high and
looked like an inverted funnel composed
OF thick gray smoke whiTling around like
great tlp. The spectators did not wait
10 investigate further but lied precipitate-
ly.
Those who saw the thing coming took
rsfu, = ia their cellars till it had passed
bowling sad erashing by.
ITS PATH.
Clniug from due West the cyclone first
struck the house of Mr.. Calvin Patton
about a mile and half from town. II was
two-story substantial brick building and
comparatively new, being built ten years
ago. The structure seemed to melt away
beneath the blow of the storm. Not one
brick or stone was left standing on an-
other, above ground. The Fnsadjoining
Tie house were swept away as clean as IL
they never had been built The family
mira uIously escaped injury, not a hurt
being reported. The loss to Mr.. Patton
will he about S5,OOO,
Judge COchran's house near by was next
leyeiei This structure was substantially
bnilt of brick. The occupants OF this
hous, alsp escaped 50 Tar u known with
ous i hurt. IN, loss will be between
$4,000 aud $1,000.
Fr1m Judge Cochrla's house the great
mas rushed spinning moving down all
ob,t .cles. Trees aud fences were whirled
away like straws.
quarter of mile east of Judge COch-
rams stood the two story frame house
owned by John Coleman. 1t was lifted
bodily from its foundation and shiyered to
pieces. Mr. Coleman will lose 81 900.
Tue debris of those buildings helped to
mark the path of the cyclone rs 1t spun
toward the town.
THROUGH ST. GAINESVILLE
II made clean sweep. Some buildings,
however, suffered but little damage, while
Others we're completely destroyed, proving
that the cyclone passed with a bounding
motion. barely touching the chimueyS and
ripping of the roofs rs it rose, while, when
it fell. nothing wIs left but pile Of brick
aud mortar.
4 brick house owned by MessrS. John
aui Samuel Reilly was completely de-
stroyed. Their loss will exceed s., 900.
After striking there the cloud evidently
took a Jump, knocking all the chimneys of
ofC. Troll < Sons dry goods store and carry
aug away his stable, doing about 500
worth Of damage.
Mr.. F. Trolls dry goods store WAS demol-
ished down to the second story. 1t will
cost him $500 or $500 to repair the
damage.
The roof was blown oil DIR. Walkers
house and the palatial residence Of J. K.
Mitchell. cashier Of the First National
Bank of St Clairsville, met with like
mishap.
The II. C. Welday building was left two
thirds standing In this structure is the
town hall and the First National bank;
loss between s., 600 and $4,000.
the Gazette office was damaged by the
fall Of the Welday building, but no serious
loss incurred. The roof of Mrs. Evans
grocery was lifted, while the big tin roof
OF Mr Robert Th0mpSOn'S establishment
was ripped of and whiTled away like 80
much paper. The roofs over Geo. Jepson.s
place, Georye Browns iewelry store, II. K.
Bumgtrdner's and of H. PLttersOns block
were blown of, the latter measured 30 by
50 feet in size, and il Is not known where
1t landed The east wall Of this building
was blown in by the recOil OF the storm
from the building next 10 10 and eayed IN
Captain Dantorth's Office. The Captain
narrowly escaped with his life. One end
OF the County TreSsurer's Office was also
demolished.
CHURCHES WRECKED.
The cyclone then struck the First Pres
byterian Church, unrOodng il aud wrench
aug lu5 htitH NJ hAulN Luat tue uululhS
will be useless The United Presbyterian
Church was utterly demolished, not a pOr-
tiOn OF the walls being ieit erect. The
building is q pile OF ruins The two
churches will have 10 he completely Ie-
built.
A house owned by George Morrow was
gutted and knocked completely out Of
shape. The brick building of Beiamin
ParkhHrst was blown down. The cyclone
had spent much of its force in creating this
devastation and little damage was done in
the eastern part OF town. The Marshall
building was damaged slightly and almost
every window exposed to the storm in this
section of the city Was broken.
I2NMarietta street sbOnt s., ,00o damage
was doTe. The faT grounds were badly